Sports Lowdown

Josh Thomas - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers led twice on Tuesday night only to drop a 4-2 decision to the Rollins College Tars in a late-season Sunshine State Conference match. This was the second consecutive loss for the Panthers, who fell to 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference. For the Tars, who were celebrating senior night, they got a much-needed victory, improving to 9-4-1, including 6-4 in the conference.   The night got off to a great start for the Panthers, who caught Rollins back on the heels early and took advantage of a couple Tars turnovers. The last of those turned into a Josh Thomas steal and he found Jan Hlavaca , on a cross, who tapped it past Tars' goalie Drew Trautmann , giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead 2:03 into the contest.   The Florida Tech defense held up well for much of the first half, but with about 10 minutes left, the home team was awarded a free-kick and although Luuk Teurlinx made the initial ch...

Jan Hlavica   - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography The Florida Tech Panthers (9-3, 6-2 SSC) erased a two-goal deficit in the second half Saturday, only to have the Spartans Felipe DeSousa score his second goal of the night with 1:16 remaining in the contest, giving host Tampa a 3-2 victory.   The game-winner was a bookend goal for DeSousa who got the scoring started just 7:55 into the match, giving his team an early 1-0 lead.   Tampa took six shots in that first half, with Florida Tech goalie Chris Page making two saves on three shots on goal. Tampa keeper Jake Richards was only forced to make one save on four Florida Tech shots.   The Spartans (6-3-2, 5-2-2 SSC) got their second goal of the first half off the foot of Viktor Strand with 32:34 having elapsed.   The Panthers stormed back in the second half, taking 12 shots and converting on two of them. Just over 14 minutes into the stanza, Josh Thomas took his third corner in a short ...

Melbourne became upset city on Wednesday, as the Florida Tech Panthers defeated the number eight team in the country, the Lynn Fighting Knights, 2-1.   This was a huge bounce-back win, for the Panthers who were upset by Barry on Saturday, who at the time had one win on the season. The Panthers who were ranked 12th coming into that game, dropped out of the top 25 because of that loss, so Wednesday's win over Lynn was huge.   The game started about 95 minutes late due to rain at Rick Stottler Field, but once things got underway, the Panthers were up to the challenge. The defense pitched a shutout in the first half, only allowing the Fighting Knights one shot and that was not on goal.   Florida Tech (9-2, 6-1 SSC) got on the board 11:55 in when Jan Hlavica took a long-range shot and that Lynn goaltender Alexander Roth looked poised  to bat it over the top of the net, but he couldn't corral it and it snuck in behind him from about 35 yards out. It wa...

The Barry Buccaneers picked up just their second win of the season on Saturday, upsetting Florida Tech 2-1 in a Sunshine State Conference match. The loss snapped the Panthers six-game winning streak and also earned them their first conference loss.   The Panthers (8-2, 5-1 SSC) got a couple shots early, including one by Luca Campanini in the 23rd minute. Campanini played about four more minutes before Brandon Smalley took his spot on the field.   Barry (2-5-2, 2-4-1 SSC) got on the board first when Toby Fura scored in the 34th minute, giving the Buccaneers a 1-0 lead. He beat FIT goalie Christopher Page and gave the visitors the early advantage.   Smalley took a shot high and wide a few moments later, but it didn't take long for him to make an impact, as he found Italo Ramos on a crossing pass and he drilled it into the bottom of the net, past Barry goaltender Marco Sordi. That tied the game 1-1, with 43:16 gone by.   The game remained tied a...

The Florida Tech Panthers men's soccer team improved to 8-1 Tuesday night, beating Saint Leo 2-0 in a Sunshine State Conference match at Rick Stottler Field.   The Panthers, who moved up to number 12 in the rankings earlier this week, did that ranking no harm on Tuesday, getting second-half goals from Hugo Lopez and Mikkel Roeisland . For Roeisland , who assisted on the Lopez goal, it was his first tally of the season.   This game was originally scheduled to be played on September 29, but it was stopped late in the first half due to rain and unplayable field conditions. At the time, the Panthers led 2-0, but that score and the stats were wiped out, as the game had not reached the 70-minute mark.   Florida Tech goalkeeper Luuk Teurlinx improved to 2-0 on the season, picking up two saves in the game, while giving starter Christopher Page a much-deserved night off.   After a scoreless first half, the Panthers (8-1, 5-0 SSC) got things going ...

When things are going right, they're going right and the Florida Tech Panthers found that out Saturday when they got a lucky bounce in overtime to beat the Embry-Riddle Eagles in a Sunshine State Conference men's soccer showdown.   With the game tied at one and the game 28 seconds into overtime, Toby Cassidy tried to clear the ball for the Eagles and it ended up hitting Brandon Smalley of the Panthers and bounding past Embry-Riddle netminder Richard Dearle for the game-winning tally.   With the victory, the 24th ranked Panthers notched their fifth straight win and moved to 7-1 overall. They kept their unblemished conference record intact, at 4-0 and improved to 4-0 on the road.   Things didn't look good early, as the Panthers were whistled for a penalty at the 35:31 mark when Daniel Gylfason was taken down in the box. The penalty kick was awarded and Magnus Magnusson made the Panthers pay, as he fired it by Panthers goalie Christopher Page .   ...

Solomon Wheatley had a goal taken away from him when the Panthers game against Saint Leo was postponed on Friday after the field became unplayable. On Wednesday, Wheatley got that goal back, as he scored the game-winner 69:48 into the game, giving the Panthers a 2-1 win over Florida Southern at Rick Stottler Field.   The Panthers (6-1, 3-0 SSC) had to come back in this one, as the Moccasins got on the board 6:50 into the contest, taking advantage of a turnover by Florida Tech on a throw-in. The ball came to Christoph Gums, who pushed it in, surprising Panthers goalie Christopher Page .  He was unable to react, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. James Smith got the assist.   It took FIT some time to get their bearings, but they got things going when Evan Enders made a nice pass to Brandon Smalley , who found Per Henrik Nag cutting in. He knocked it past Mocs' goalie Benny Yusufoglu, tying the game at one, with 20:44 to go in the first half.   That goa...

The Florida Tech Panthers traveled to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, for a showdown with the Nova Southeastern Sharks. It was a tightly contested match throughout, but the Panthers prevailed 3-1, notching their 11th consecutive victory over the Sharks in Sunshine State Conference play.   Florida Tech (5-1, 2-0 SSC) kept Sharks' goalie Nico Rosiglioni busy in the first half, but he deserves a lot of credit, as he kept his team in the game. The Panthers got an early chance when Luca Campanini got Rosiglioni out of the net and had a golden opportunity, only to have Lucas Dessoliers layout and give up his body, to stop the ball from going in.   Shortly thereafter, the Panthers got behind the defense and had a 3-on-1. Brandon Smalley found Per Henrik Nag with a nice pass, but he banged it off the post, keeping the game scoreless, with 28:41 gone by. Rosiglioni came up big again later in the contest, making a point-blank Save on Smalley with 12 and a half minutes left....

A 13-day layoff did not hurt the Florida Tech Men's Soccer team, as they opened their Sunshine State Conference schedule, with a 4-1 win over Eckerd on Saturday. With the victory, the Panthers improved to 4-1 overall.   Despite a decided advantage for the Panthers in shots, 20-5 and shots on goal, 11-2, it was Eckerd who drew first blood, with Juan Tejada beating FIT goalie Christopher Page in the 40th minute, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.   The Tritons took that lead to the locker room, but the Panthers got things going in the second half, with four unanswered goals.   Hugo Lopez and Brandon Smalley combined to even the match in the 67th minute, when Lopez found Smalley open and got it to him, ahead of the defense and he drilled just inside the post, past Tritons goaltender Alex Gott.   It took less than 10 minutes for the Panthers to get the game-winner, as Smalley assisted Stian Hagboe Olsen on a free-kick goal that was tucked just in...

The 24th ranked Florida Tech men's soccer team improved to 2-0 on Monday, beating the Shorter Hawks 5-1 in a non-conference match at Rick Stottler Field in Melbourne. The match was delayed twice by lightning but was able to be completed.   Freshman goalkeeper Luuk Teurlinx made his Florida Tech debut a memorable one, posting three saves and keeping Shorter off the board for the first 45 minutes of the match.   The Panthers had just three shots in the first half but led 1-0 on a goal from Luca  Campanini in the 11th minute. That goal stood up and the Panthers went into halftime up by that score. Per Henrik Nag and Josh Thomas were credited with the assists.   The Hawks (0-3) looked like the break was exactly what they needed, as they got an early goal from Hassane Traore, tying the game 1-1, 2:26 into the second half. Instead of giving Shorter the spark it needed, it seemed to fire up the Panthers, who went on the offensive immediately.   ...

The Florida Tech men's soccer season was delayed by mother nature on Saturday, as they waited just over an hour to get their opening game underway. In the end, the wait was worth it, as the Panthers took down Francis Marion Patriots, 4-2 at Rick Stotler Field.   Florida Tech (1-0) erased two one goal deficits in the match and scored three times in the second half, to secure the victory. Per Henrik Nag and Brandon Smalley led the Panthers offensively, posting a goal and an assist each. Evan Enders and Hugo Lopez had the Panthers other tallies.   Although things ended well for the Panthers, they certainly didn't start that way. The Patriots got on the board early, as Levin Sandmann sent an awkward knuckler toward the net that Panthers goalie Chris Page had go through his legs, just 45 seconds into the proceedings.   It took Florida Tech until the 16:53 mark to answer, as Enders took a pass from Nag and buried it into the right corner of the net, tying t...

The Florida Tech Men’s Soccer team suffered a 2-1 defeat Sunday afternoon, at the Hands of Palm Beach Atlantic, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Panthers finished the 2016 season with five losses, two of those coming against the Sailfish. Florida Tech went down 1-0, when Charlie Dennis sent a rocket past Panthers goaltender Christian Moerch . The Sailfish defense was tough in the first half, holding the Panthers to just two shots in the first half, one on goal. Josh Thomas took the first shot 32:47 into the match and it was saved by Elliott. The second shot by Hugo Lopez went wide, at 39:47. Florida Tech (11-5-1) got things going in the right direction, early in the second half. The Panthers 2016 leader in goals, Luca Campanini got away from the PBA defense and launched a shot from the top of the box. Barker made the stop, but gave up a rebound and Lopez drilled it home, equaling the score with 27:18 left in the game. Moerch kept the game tied wit...

The Florida Tech Soccer team picked up their 10 th win of the season in a dominating 4-1 win at Warner. Freshman Hugo Lopez scored twice for the Panthers in the win and sent the Royals to an 0-15 record in 2016. Being a non-conference late season game, this was a chance for the Panthers to put some of their young talent in a game situation and it worked well. Sophomore Petur Petursson started in goal for Florida Tech and made four saves, all in the second half. The Royals took just six shots as a team in this match. The Panthers (10-3-1) got Petursson an early lead with Lopez tickling the twine 10:03 into the match, beating Warner keeper Mauricio Delgado, for a 1-0 lead. The goal was assisted by Colton Johnson- Drymon , a Junior from Satellite Beach. It took just over 13 minutes for the Panthers to double their lead, with a goal off the foot of Freshman Brandon Smalley. Florida Tech kept the pressure up with four consecutive shots over the next 10 minutes, with Johns...

Junior Forward Evan Enders gave the Florida Tech Men’s soccer team all the offense they would need, scoring a goal in each half and lifting the Panthers to a 2-0 win over the Barry Buccaneers on Tuesday. Enders got the scoring started at 18:19 of the first half and added his second goal of the night and sixth of the season with 8:23 left in the contest, to give the visitors a 2-0 lead, that would stand up. The first goal was assisted by Junior Josh Thomas , found Enders on a cross and Enders headed it past Barry goaltender Michael Scheraldi. It was one of seven shots that the Panthers took in the first half, to go along with six corner kicks. Enders was not on the field to start the second half, but was re-inserted with 12:32 gone in the second half, taking over for Thomas. Things got a bit heated in the second half, as the Panthers were pushing for an insurance goal. Tobias Hildmann and Fabian Egbele of the Panthers were issued yellow cards 32 seconds apart by...

The Tampa Spartans spoiled Senior Night in Melbourne, beating Florida Tech 3-1 in a Sunshine State Conference Men’s Soccer match on Saturday. The Panthers had their chances throughout the contest, firing 20 shots (11 on goal) in the loss, with 16 of those coming in the second half. Tampa (9-3-2, 4-3-1 SSC) jumped in front when Mike Ciluffo went one-on-one in the box, beat the defender and then beat Panthers’ goaltender Christian Moerch, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead 13:25 into the match. The goal was one of eight shots Tampa took in the first half. Florida Tech (8-3-1, 5-3 SSC) did not have a shot on goal in the first half and took just four shots total. This was unfamiliar territory for the Panthers, who usually get off a good number of shots in each half. Credit to Tampa’s defense for shutting down the Panthers offensive attack in the first 45 minutes.   The Spartans scored the eventual game winner just 2:12 into the second half, off the foot of Jake Winship...

Senior Adin Kavara tallied three times on Tuesday, helping the Florida Tech Men’s Soccer team to a dominating 5-1 victory over Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. The Panthers scored three goals in the first half with Kavara scoring the first goal 9:37 into the contest. He took a pass from Robbie Madden in the six-yard box and put it by Eckerd goaltender Alex Gott, just inside the back post. Madden was credited with the assist on Kavara’s fifth goal of the season. Kavara took less than three minutes to strike again, after getting a pass from Fabian Egbele , Kavara notched his second goal of the game at the 12:21 mark, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead. Junior midfielder Josh Thomas got into the act with 31:37 gone in the first half, when he fired a shot from 10 yards outside the 18-yard box, that beat Gott to the high side and put the Panthers in control, 3-0. The Tritons (6-4-2) got on the board with 2:14 left in the half, after Juan David Tejada was taken down in t...